[This release date for my new book, Of Thee I Sing: The Contested History of American Patriotism, has been pushed back a bit, but I don't know there's ever been a more important moment to talk about patriotism. So this week I’ve used portions of the book’s Introduction to briefly highlight each of my four categories of American patriotism, leading up to this special post on my goals for the project over the next couple months—and how you all can help!]
On five of the many places and ways I’d love to talk about this book and these histories:
1) Online writing: I’ve already had the chance to write about Of Thee I Sing and American patriotism for HNN, the USIH blog, and my Saturday Evening Post Considering History column. But lifelong devotee of online writing that I am (duh, he wrote on his 10+ year old blog), I’d very much appreciate ideas, leads, connections of all kinds to other spaces where I could share such pieces, including individual and collective blogs and other websites of all kinds. Email me with your thoughts, please!
2) Podcasts: As I wrote back in my Thanksgiving series, I got to talk about the project on a series of great podcasts throughout the fall, from the historical to the political to the drunken, and am looking forward to doing so on Keri Leigh Merritt’s awesome Merrittocracy podcast soon as well. Which only illustrates my desire and willingness to do so on any and all other podcasts too! So, I say again, email me with your thoughts, please!
3) Classes: Perhaps my favorite opportunities to share my projects and work are when I’ve been able to do so with classes, whether those taught by colleagues at FSU or those to which I’ve been able to connect around the country and world, whether in-person or (these days in particular, of course) remotely. By the time this post airs, I’ll have been able to do so with students at an innovative and inspiring high school, Chicago’s GCE Lab School. Which is to say, I’d love to get connected to any and all classes and institutions, of all types, including yours—so, y’know, email me with your thoughts, please!
4) Bookstores: You will not be shocked to learn that I’m a lifelong bookstore bookworm, including stints working at Lexington (MA)’s Waldenbooks and Charlottesville (VA)’s Barnes & Noble. I got to give a book talk at that Cville B&N as part of Virginia’s Festival of the Book back in 2014, and have likewise had the opportunity to talk at other great bookstores, from Toadstool Bookstore in Peterborough (NH) to the Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg (PA) to Scuppernong Books in Greensboro (NC). Now that such talks are remote, there are really no geographic or time limits, so I would genuinely love to learn of great bookstores in your area where I might share Of Thee I Sing. So, duh, email me with your thoughts, please!
5) Everywhere else!: And that’s not all! Libraries and archives! Museums and historic/cultural sites! Discussion and book groups! Adult learning programs! I could go on, but you get the idea—there is no community, no space, no conversation and audience with which I don’t want to share this project and these histories. Got an idea, of any type? Well, you can always…email me with your thoughts, please!
Next series starts Monday,
Ben
PS. I bet you know what to do!
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